. In this road there are lots of trendy bars and restaurants and the unattractive high rises we just saw opposite the building we will be staying in for the next week seem far less daunting.

Over a beer we decide that I will try to find a number with the internet on my phone and we see that Robert has emailed his number to me. Phew. Can I ring it from my anglicised mobile? No.

The waiter kindly lends us his cell phone and we arrange to meet Robert, who had gone to a roof top party a couple of buildings from his, around the block outside a bar so he can let us into the studio. As we round the corner we spot him (having studied him on youtube before me came!) and he recognises us by our backpacks. He smiles as we approach then politely asks us to wait a bit of distance from him as he is being written a ticket by a policeman for drinking on the street. Omen of what is to come next?

Nevertheless we get in and Rob, who is lovely and has left us clean towels/bottle of wine/the TV fire burning, invites us up to the party with him. We put on new faces and meet him up there. The view of Manhattan’s entire skyline is a great start to our trip. Ben who’s party it is talks about money and his career too much but his obese British Bulldog, Olivia Newton-John, makes up for it.

We also meet Joey John Jnr at the party. He is a close friend of Rob’s and a photographer and film maker. He 'copies’ our accents and tells dirty jokes so we like him.

By half 12 we are exhausted and go to say our goodbyes. Rob says he will walk us back but as we pass a bar (its literally less than a block between the 2 buildings) he wants to introduce us to the owner of the bar (a Cuban place Jo is pretty sure is nicer than anywhere in actually in Cuba). 2 pitchers of white (!?) sangria later and we roll into bed at 3am very tired but very happy to be in NYC.